a special tribute sheikh zayed

7/31/2019 A Special Tribute Sheikh Zayed

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SHEIKH ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL NAHYAN

ASpecialTribute


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S H E I K H Z A Y E D B I N S U L T A N A L N A H Y A N

ON 2 NOVEMBER 2004, HIS HIGHNESS SHEIKH ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL NAHYAN, President

of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, died. He

was in his late eighties and had been Ruler of Abu Dhabi since 1966, and UAE

President since the formation of the Federation on 2 December 1971. He was

succeeded as Ruler of Abu Dhabi by his eldest son and Crown Prince, HisHighness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who, on 3 November, was also

elected unanimously by the Supreme Council of Rulers of the UAE as the countrys

second President.

Sheikh Zayed had been involved in government since 1946, when he became

the Representative of the Ruler of Abu Dhabi in the Eastern Region of the emirate,

and, upon becoming Ruler in 1966, he took the initiatives that led to the formation

of the seven-member UAE Federation five years later. For the citizens of the

Emirates, the vast majority of whom were too young to recall any other leader,

he was not merely a President and Ruler, but he was also like a father. His

passing prompted, as was to be expected, an outpouring of grief throughout the

country, both among citizens and amongst the UAEs large expatriate population,

many of whom have lived much or all of their lives in the Emirates.

President Sheikh Zayed, however, was not merely a national leader, but a

widely-respected Arab and world statesman, as was shown by the fact that many

Kings and Heads of State, Crown Princes, Prime Ministers and other senior

government figures from around the globe flew in to attend his funeral or to pay

their condolences to his successor. Among them were representatives not only

from the Arab world, such as the Kings of Bahrain and Jordan, the Sultan of

Oman, the Emir of Qatar, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the Presidents

of Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan and Algeria, but also from Asia, including

the Presidents of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and from Europe, including

the President of France and Britains Prince Charles, Africa and the Americas.

He also received the rare tribute of a special motion of condolences in Britains

House of Commons.

Obituaries in some of the worlds leading newspapers, such as The New York

Times and The Times, as well as the many messages of condolence received by

President Sheikh Khalifa, from world figures such as Britains Queen, the US

S HE IK H Z AY ED B IN S UL TA N A L N AH YA N A S PE CI AL T RI BU TE


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and French presidents, the Emperor of Japan, the Secretary-General of the United

Nations and numerous other monarchs, presidents and prime ministers, paid

credit both to his achievements in developing the United Arab Emirates into a

stable, modern and tolerant state, through a sagacious use of the countrys oil

and gas revenues, but also to his wisdom in international affairs, holding fast tohis own basic principles, while seeking to promote conciliation and peace-making

wherever the opportunity arose.

Thus Britains Queen Elizabeth expressed her condolences to President Sheikh

Khalifa on the death of your distinguished father . . . who served your country

with such dedication and dignity over many years. I am sure that the prosperity

of the UAE today will be widely seen as a testimony to Sheikh Zayeds wisdom,

skill and devotion to the service of the state.

US President George W. Bush commented: The United States mourns thepassing of a great friend of our country . . . Sheikh Zayed was . . . a pioneer, an

elder statesman and a close ally. He and his fellow rulers built their federation into

a prosperous, tolerant and well-governed state.

Frances President Jacques Chirac, expressing deep sorrow and emotion,

described Sheikh Zayed as a man of peace and vision. In a message to Sheikh

Khalifa, he added: The work accomplished by Sheikh Zayed is huge . . . Man of

peace and vision, he kept promoting the virtues of compromise, reason and

dialogue in a region troubled by crises and conflicts. His name will remain closely

associated with the cause of peace and development in the Middle East to which

he devoted his life.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted in a statement that Sheikh

Zayed had devoted tireless efforts to building the state and nation and, in so

doing, earned the respect of the population for his wisdom, generosity and his

achievements in building a prosperous economy. Sheikh Zayeds wisdom, strong

belief in diplomacy and generous assistance to developing countries also won

him wide renown outside his own country in the Islamic world and even further

afield. And he was a friend of the United Nations, who always sought to strengthen

relations between the Organisation and his country.

He was honoured in a special commemorative session of the UN General

Assembly, a rare mark of appreciation.

Insofar as it was possible to detect a single thread running through the

statements and messages, as well as through the response of UAE residents, it

was that the life and achievements of President Sheikh Zayed were characterised

by his deep religious faith, his vision, his determination and hard work, his

generosity, both at home and abroad, and the way in which he devoted his life

to the service of his people and to the pursuit, at home and elsewhere, to helping

those in need and to the creation of a better world.

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The United Arab Emirates today is his memorial not just the physical

infrastructure but, more importantly, its people while the international response

to his passing is testimony to the way in which he gave to his country a voice

listened to, with respect, around the world.

In a statement on the election of Sheikh Khalifa as the new President, themembers of the UAE Supreme Council noted their keen desire to be loyal to

the principles of leadership and the values of justice and right laid down by His

Highness Sheikh Zayed and pledged to follow his path. In their view, such is the

best way of honouring his memory.

Born around 1918 in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed was the youngest of the four

sons of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1922 to

1926. He was named after his grandfather, Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa, who ruledthe emirate from 1855 to 1909, the longest reign in the three and a half centuries

since the Al Nahyan family emerged as leaders of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi, like the other emirates of the southern Arabian Gulf formerly

known as the Trucial States, was then in treaty relations with Britain. At the time

Sheikh Zayed was born, the emirate was poor and undeveloped, with an economy

based primarily on fishing and pearl diving along the coast and offshore and on

simple agriculture in scattered oases inland. Part of the population was nomadic,

ranging across a wide area of south-eastern Arabia in search of pasture.Life, even for members of the ruling family, was simple. Education was generally

confined to lessons in reading and writing, along with instruction in Islam from

the local preacher, while modern facilities such as roads, communications and

health care were conspicuous only by their absence. Transport was by camel or

boat, and the harshness of the arid climate meant that survival itself was often

a major concern.

In early 1928, following the death of Sheikh Sultans successor, his brother

Sheikh Saqr, a family conclave selected as Ruler Sheikh Shakhbut, Sheikh Sultanseldest son. He was to hold the post until August 1966, when he stepped down

in favour of his brother Zayed.

Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s, as Sheikh Zayed grew to manhood,

he displayed an early thirst for knowledge that took him out into the desert with

the bedu tribesmen to learn all he could about the way of life of the people

and the environment in which they lived. He later recalled with pleasure his

experience of desert life and his initiation into the sport of falconry, which became

a lifelong passion.In his book,Falconry: Our Arab Heritage, published in 1977, Sheikh Zayed noted

that the companionship of a hunting party



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. . . permits each and every member of the expedition to speak freely and express

his ideas and viewpoints without inhibition and restraint, and allows the one

responsible to acquaint himself with the wishes of his people, to know their problems

and perceive their views accurately, and thus to be in a position to help and improve

their situation.

From his desert journeys, Sheikh Zayed developed an understanding of the

relationship between man and his environment and, in particular, the need to

ensure that sustainable use was made of natural resources. Once an avid shot,

he abandoned the gun for falconry at the age of 25, aware that hunting with a

gun could lead rapidly to extinction of the native wildlife.

He learned, too, about the coastal fishing communities, and the age-old offshore

pearling industry, which had begun as long ago as 5000BC, and involved diving

without artificial aids to the seabed to harvest the pearls that were to be foundthere in profusion. By the 1930s, as a result of the world economic depression

and of the Japanese invention of the cultured pearl, the industry was dying, and,

besides gaining an insight into the hardships faced by those involved, he also

saw the urgent need for alternative sources of income to be found. His recognition

of the dangers of dependence on one single source of income, linked to the

vagaries of international markets, was a lesson that he carried forward into later

life, when he insisted, with considerable success, that the United Arab Emirates

needed to diversify its economy beyond the lucrative exploitation of oil and gas.His travels in the remoter areas of Abu Dhabi and his voyages offshore provided

Sheikh Zayed with a deep understanding both of the country and of its people. In

the early 1930s, when the first oil company teams arrived to carry out preliminary

surface geological surveys, he was assigned by his brother the task of guiding

them around the desert. At the same time, he obtained his first exposure to the

industry that was later to have such a great impact upon the country.

In the year 1946, Sheikh Zayed was chosen to fill a vacancy as Rulers

Representative in the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi, centred on the oasis of Al Ain,

approximately 160 kilometres east of the island of Abu Dhabi itself. Inhabited

continuously for over 5000 years, the oasis had nine villages, six of which

belonged to Abu Dhabi and three, including Buraimi, by which name the oasis

was also known, which belonged to the Sultanate of Oman. The job involved not

only the task of administering the six villages but also the whole of the adjacent

desert region, enabling Sheikh Zayed to learn the techniques of government as

well as deepening his knowledge of the tribes. In the late 1940s and early 1950s,

Saudi Arabias territorial claims to Buraimi provided him with the opportunity

to gain experience of politics on a broader scale.

Sheikh Zayed brought to his new task a firm belief in the values of consultation

and consensus, in contrast to confrontation. Foreign visitors, such as the British



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explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger, who first met him at this time, noted with

approbation that his judgements were distinguished by their acute insights,

wisdom and fairness.

Sheikh Zayed swiftly established himself not only as someone who had a

clear vision of what he wished to achieve for the people of Al Ain, but also assomeone who led by example.

A key task in the early years in Al Ain was that of stimulating the local economy,

which was largely based on agriculture. To do this, he ensured that the ancient

subterranean water channels or falajes (aflaj) were cleaned out, and personally

financed the construction of a new one, taking part in the strenuous labour that

was involved.

He also ordered a revision of local water ownership rights to ensure a more

equitable distribution, surrendering the rights of his own family as an example toothers. The consequent expansion of the area under cultivation in turn generated

more income for the residents of Al Ain, helping to re-establish the oasis as the

predominant market centre for a wide area.

With development gradually beginning to get under way, Sheikh Zayed

commenced the laying out of a visionary city plan, and, in a foretaste of the

massive afforestation programme of today, he also ordered the planting of

ornamental trees that, now grown to maturity, have made Al Ain one of the

greenest cities in Arabia.

In 1953, Sheikh Zayed made his first visit to Europe, accompanying his brother

Shakhbut to Britain and France and attending an international arbitration tribunal

on the legality of offshore oil concessions in the emirate. He recalled later how

impressed he had been by the schools and hospitals he visited, becoming

determined that his own people should have the benefit of similar facilities:

There were a lot of dreams I was dreaming about our land catching up with the

modern world, but I was not able to do anything because I did not have the

wherewithal in my hands to achieve these dreams. I was sure, however, that one daythey would become true.

Despite the lack of government revenues, Sheikh Zayed succeeded in bringing

progress to Al Ain, establishing the rudiments of an administrative machinery,

personally funding the first modern school in the emirate and coaxing relatives

and friends to contribute towards small-scale development programmes.

Oil production was to provide Sheikh Zayed with the means to fund his

dreams, with the export of the first cargo of Abu Dhabi crude in 1962. Although

oil prices were then far lower than they are today, the rapidly growing volume

of exports, from both onshore and offshore, revolutionised the economy of Abu

Dhabi and its people began to look forward eagerly to receiving similar benefits



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to those already being enjoyed by their neighbours in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait

and Saudi Arabia. The pearling industry had finally come to an end shortly after

the Second World War, and little had emerged to take its place. Indeed, during

the late 1950s and early 1960s, many people had left Abu Dhabi for other, oil-

producing, Gulf states where there were opportunities for employment.The economic hardships experienced by Abu Dhabi since the 1930s had

accustomed the Ruler, Sheikh Shakhbut, to a cautious frugality. Despite the

growing aspiration of his people for progress, he was reluctant to invest the new

oil revenues in development. Attempts by members of his family, including

Sheikh Zayed, and by the leaders of the other tribes in the emirate to persuade

him to move with the times were unsuccessful, and eventually the Al Nahyan

family decided that the time had come for him to step down. The record of

Sheikh Zayed over the previous 20 years in Al Ain and his popularity among thepeople made him the obvious choice as successor.

On 6 August 1966, Sheikh Zayed became Ruler, with a mandate from his

family to press ahead as fast as possible with the development of Abu Dhabi.

He was a man in a hurry. His years in Al Ain had not only given him valuable

experience in government, but had also provided him with the time to develop

a vision of how the emirate could progress. With revenues growing year by year

as oil production increased, he was determined to use them in the service of

the people, and a massive programme of construction of schools, housing,hospitals and roads got rapidly under way.

Of his first few weeks, Sheikh Zayed later said:

All the picture was prepared. It was not a matter of fresh thinking, but of simply

putting into effect the thoughts of years and years. First I knew we had to concentrate

on Abu Dhabi and public welfare. In short, we had to obey the circumstances: the

needs of the people as a whole. Second, I wanted to approach other emirates to

work with us. In harmony, in some sort of federation, we could follow the example

of other developing countries.

One of Sheikh Zayeds early steps was to increase contributions to the Trucial

States Development Fund, established a few years earlier. Abu Dhabi soon became

its largest donor. At the beginning of 1968, when the British announced their

intention of withdrawing from the Arabian Gulf by the end of 1971, Sheikh Zayed

acted rapidly to initiate moves towards establishing closer ties with the emirates.

Along with the late Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who

was to become Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed

took the lead in calling for a federation that would include not only the seven

emirates that together made up the Trucial States, but also Qatar and Bahrain.

When early hopes of a federation of nine states eventually foundered, Sheikh



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Zayed led his fellow rulers in achieving agreement on the establishment of the

UAE, which formally emerged on the international stage on 2 December 1971.

While his enthusiasm for federation was a key factor in the formation of the

UAE, Sheikh Zayed also won support for the way in which he sought consensus

and agreement among his fellow rulers:

I am not imposing change on anyone. That is tyranny. All of us have our opinions,

and these opinions can change. Sometimes we put all opinions together, and then

extract from them a single point of view. This is our democracy.

Sheikh Zayed was elected by his fellow rulers as the first President of the UAE,

a post to which he was successively re-elected at five-year intervals.

The new state came into being at a time of political turmoil in the region. A

couple of days earlier, on the night of 30 November and the early morning of 1December, Iran had seized the islands of Greater and Lesser Tunb, part of Ras

al-Khaimah, and had landed troops on Abu Musa, part of Sharjah (see section

on Foreign Policy).

On land, demarcation of the borders between the individual emirates and with

the Federations neighbours had not been completed, although a preliminary

agreement had been reached between Abu Dhabi and Oman (a final agreement

on the UAE border with Oman was ratified in 2003).

Foreign observers, who lacked an understanding of the importance of a

common history and heritage in bringing together the people of the UAE, predicted

that the new state would survive only with difficulty, pointing to disputes with

its neighbours and to the wide disparity in the size, population and level of

development of the seven emirates.

Better informed about the character of the country, Sheikh Zayed was naturally

more optimistic. Looking back a quarter of a century later he noted:

Our experiment in federation, in the first instance, arose from a desire to increase

the ties that bind us, as well as from the conviction of all that they were part of onefamily, and that they must gather together under one leadership.

We had never (previously) had an experience in federation, but our proximity to

each other and the ties of blood relationship between us are factors which led us to

believe that we must establish a federation that should compensate for the disunity

and fragmentation that earlier prevailed.

That which has been accomplished has exceeded all our expectations, and that, with

the help of God and a sincere will, confirms that there is nothing that cannot be

achieved in the service of the people if determination is firm and intentions are sincere.

The predictions of those early pessimists were overwhelmingly shown to be

unfounded. In the 33 years that have followed, the UAE has not only survived, but



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has developed at a rate that is almost without parallel. The country has been utterly

transformed. Its population has risen from around 250,000 in 1971 to an estimate

of around 4.3 million by late 2004. Progress, in terms of the provision of social

services, health and education, as well as in sectors such as communications and

the oil and non-oil economy, has brought a high standard of living that has spreadthroughout the seven emirates, from the ultra-modern cities to the remotest

areas of desert and mountains. The change has, moreover, occurred against a

backdrop of enviable political and social stability, despite the insecurity and

conflict that has dogged much of the rest of the Gulf region.

The country has also established itself firmly on the international scene, both

within the Arab region and in the broader community of nations. Its pursuit of

dialogue and consensus and its firm adherence to the tenets of the Charter of the

United Nations, in particular those dealing with the principle of non-interference

in the affairs of other states, have been coupled with a quiet but extensive

involvement in the provision of development assistance and humanitarian aid

that, in per capita terms, has few parallels.

There is no doubt that the experiment in federation has been a success and

the undoubted key to the achievements of the UAE has been the central role

played by Sheikh Zayed during his years of leadership.

During his years in Al Ain he was able to develop a vision of how the country

should progress, and, after becoming first Ruler of Abu Dhabi and then President

of the UAE, he devoted over three and a half decades to making that vision a reality.

One foundation of his philosophy as a leader and statesman was that the

resources of the country should be fully used to the benefit of the people. The

UAE is fortunate to have been blessed with massive reserves of oil and gas and

it is through careful utilisation of these, including the decision in 1973 that the

government of Abu Dhabi, the emirate with the lions share of reserves, should

take a controlling share of the oil reserves. Together with its total ownership of

the associated and non-associated gas reserves, agreed with the oil concession

holders several years earlier, this ensured that the new state would have thefinancial resources necessary to underpin the development programme. Indeed

there has been sufficient to permit the setting aside of large amounts for

investment on behalf of future generations, now largely managed through the

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

The financial resources, however, were always regarded by Sheikh Zayed not

as a means unto themselves, but as a tool to facilitate the development of what

he believed to be the real wealth of the country its people, and, in particular,

the younger generation. As he stated:

Wealth is not money. Wealth lies in men. This is where true power lies, the power

that we value. They are the shield behind which we seek protection. This is what



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has convinced us to direct all our resources to building the individual, and to using

the wealth with which God has provided us in the service of the nation, so that it

may grow and prosper.

Unless wealth is used in conjunction with knowledge to plan for its use, and

unless there are enlightened intellects to direct it, its fate is to diminish and todisappear. The greatest use that can be made of wealth is to invest it in creating

generations of educated and trained people.

Addressing the graduation ceremony of the first class of students from the

Emirates University in 1982, Sheikh Zayed said:

The building of mankind is difficult and hard. It represents, however, the real wealth

[of the country]. This is not found in material wealth. It is made up of men, of

children, and of future generations. It is this which constitutes the real treasure.

Within this framework, Sheikh Zayed believed that all of the countrys citizens

have a role to play in its development. Indeed he defined it not simply as a

right, but as a duty. In one address to his colleagues in the Federal Supreme

Council, he noted:

The most important of our duties as Rulers is to raise the standard of living of our

people. To carry out ones duty is a responsibility given by God, and to follow up on

work is the responsibility of everyone, both the old and the young.

Both men and women, he believed, should play their part. Recognising that in

the past a lack of education and development had prevented women from

playing a full role in much of the activity of society, he took action to ensure that

this situation was addressed rapidly. Although womens advocates might argue

that there is still much to be done, the achievements have been remarkable, and

the countrys women are now increasingly playing their part in political and

economic life by taking up positions at all levels in the public and private sectors,

with the first woman being appointed to the Cabinet late in 2004, the day beforehe died. In so doing, they enjoyed Sheikh Zayeds full support:

Women have the right to work everywhere. Islam affords to women their rightful

status, and encourages them to work in all sectors, as long as they are afforded the

appropriate respect. The basic role of women is the upbringing of children, but,

over and above that, we must offer opportunities to a woman who chooses to

perform other functions. What women have achieved in the Emirates in only a

short space of time makes me both happy and content. We sowed our seeds

yesterday, and today the fruit has already begun to appear. We praise God for the

role that women play in our society. It is clear that this role is beneficial for both

present and future generations.



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Remarkable progress has now been achieved by the women of the Emirates,

due in no small measure to initiatives taken by Sheikh Zayed and by his wife,

HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, who is the President of the countrys General

Womens Union. Already playing a prominent role in the civil service, health,

education and business, and even in the police and armed forces, the UAEswomen are now increasingly active in the political process, through membership

in the various consultative and legislative bodies, and, as noted above, in the

Cabinet.

In an interview in October 2002, Sheikh Zayed noted that:

The Woman is the mother, sister, aunt and wife of Man, and we should not, therefore,

deprive women of their rights, which God has instructed us to respect and observe.

Women should be respected and encouraged in whatever work they might do.

The UAE General Womens Union has contributed actively to the enhancement

of the role of and contribution of women, he noted, while at the same time,

together with this contribution, UAE women have maintained and preserved

the values of our society.

Sheikh Zayed long, and emphatically, made it clear that he believed that the

younger generation, those who have enjoyed the fruits of the UAEs development

programme throughout their lives, must take up the burden once carried by their

parents. Within his immediate family, he ensured that his sons took up posts ingovernment at which they were expected to work, and not simply enjoy as

sinecures. Besides his heir as Abu Dhabi Ruler and successor as UAE President,

Sheikh Khalifa, most hold senior positions in the federal or local governments.

When in the early 1990s, some young UAE men complained about the perceived

lack of employment opportunities at a salary level that met their expectations,

he bluntly offered them positions as agricultural labourers, so that they might

learn the dignity of work:

Work is of great importance, and of great value in building both individuals and

societies. The size of a salary is not a measure of the worth of an individual. What

is important is an individuals sense of dignity and self-respect. It is my duty as the

leader of the young people of this country to encourage them to work and to exert

themselves in order to raise their own standards and to be of service to the country.

The individual who is healthy and of a sound mind and body but who does not work

commits a crime against himself and against society.

We look forward in the future to seeing our sons and daughters playing a more

active role broadening their participation in the process of development and

shouldering their share of the responsibilities, especially in the private sector, so as

to lay the foundations for the success of this participation and effectiveness. At the



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same time, we are greatly concerned to raise the standard and dignity of the work

ethic in our society, and to increase the percentage of citizens in the labour force.

This can be achieved by following a realistic and well-planned approach that will

improve performance and productivity, moving towards the long-term goal of secure

and comprehensive development.

In this sphere, as in other areas, Sheikh Zayed was long concerned about the

possible adverse impact upon the younger generation of the easy life they

enjoy, so far removed from the resilient, resourceful lifestyle of their parents.

One key feature of Sheikh Zayeds strategy of government, therefore, was the

encouragement of initiatives designed to conserve and cherish features of the

traditional culture of the people, in order to familiarise the younger generation

with the ways of their ancestors. In his view, it was of crucial importance that the

lessons and heritage of the past were remembered. They provide, he believed, an

essential foundation upon which real progress can be achieved:

History is a continuous chain of events. The present is only an extension of the past.

He who does not know his past cannot make the best of his present and future, for it

is from the past that we learn. We gain experience and we take advantage of the

lessons and results [of the past]. Then we adopt the best and that which suits our

present needs, while avoiding the mistakes made by our fathers and grandfathers.

The new generation should have a proper appreciation of the role played by theirforefathers. They should adopt their model, and the supreme ideal of patience,

fortitude, hard work and dedication to doing their duty.

Once believed to have been little more than a backwater in the history of the

Middle East, the UAE is now known to have been a country which has played a

vital role in the development of civilisation in the region for thousands of years.

The first archaeological excavations in the UAE took place 46 years ago, in 1959,

with the archaeologists benefiting extensively from the interest shown in their

work by Sheikh Zayed. Indeed, he himself invited them to visit the Al Ain area to

examine remains in and around the oasis that proved to be some of the most

important yet found in south-eastern Arabia. In the decades that followed, Sheikh

Zayed continued to support archaeological studies throughout the country, eager to

ensure that the achievements of the past became known to the people of today.

Appropriately, one of the UAEs most important archaeological sites has been

discovered on Abu Dhabis western island of Sir Bani Yas, which for over 25

years has been a private wildlife reserve created by Sheikh Zayed to ensure the

survival of some of Arabias most endangered species.

If the heritage of the people of the UAE was important to Sheikh Zayed, so

too was the conservation of its natural environment and wildlife. He believed



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that the strength of character of the Emirati people derives, in part, from the

struggle that they were obliged to wage in order to survive in the harsh and

arid local environment.

His belief in conservation of the environment owed nothing to modern fashions.

Acknowledged by the presentation to him of the prestigious Gold Panda awardof the Worldwide Fund for Nature, and by the inauguration, early in 2001, of

the Zayed International Prize for the Environment (whose first recipient was

former US President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter), it derived,

instead, from his own upbringing, where a sustainable use of resources required

man to live in harmony with nature. This led him to ensure that conservation

of wildlife and the environment is a key part of government policy. At the same

time he has stimulated and personally supervised a massive programme of

afforestation that has now seen over 150 million trees planted.In a speech given on the occasion of the UAEs first Environment Day in

February 1998, Sheikh Zayed spelt out his beliefs:

We cherish our environment because it is an integral part of our country, our

history and our heritage. On land and in the sea, our forefathers lived and survived

in this environment. They were able to do so only because they recognised the need

to conserve it, to take from it only what they needed to live, and to preserve it for

succeeding generations.

With Gods will, we shall continue to work to protect our environment and ourwildlife, as did our forefathers before us. It is a duty, and, if we fail, our children,

rightly, will reproach us for squandering an essential part of their inheritance, and

of our heritage.

Like most conservationists, Sheikh Zayed was concerned wherever possible to

remedy the damage done by man to wildlife. His programme on the island of

Sir Bani Yas for the captive breeding of endangered native animals such as the

Arabian oryx and the Arabian gazelle achieved impressive results, so much so

that not only is the survival of both species now assured, but animals are also

being carefully reintroduced to the wild.

As in other areas of national life, Sheikh Zayed made it clear that conservation

is not simply the task of government. Despite the creation of official institutions

like the Federal Environment Agency and Abu Dhabis Environmental Research

and Wildlife Development Agency, the UAEs President believed firmly that

there was also a role for the individual and for non-governmental organisations,

both of citizens and expatriates.

He believed that society can only develop and flourish if all of its members

acknowledge their responsibilities. This applies not only to concerns such as

environmental conservation, but to other areas of national life as well.



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Members of the Al Nahyan family have been rulers of Abu Dhabi since at least

the beginning of the eighteenth century, longer than any other ruling dynasty

in Arabia. In Arabian bedu society, however, the legitimacy of a ruler, and of a

ruling family, derives essentially from consensus and from consent and the

legitimacy of the political system today derives from the support it draws fromthe people of the UAE. The principle of consultation (shura) is an essential part

of that system.

At an informal level, that principle has long been practiced through the institution

of the majlis (council) where a leading member of society holds an open-house

discussion forum, at which any individual may put forward views for discussion

and consideration. While the majlis system the UAEs form of direct democracy

still continues, it is, naturally, best suited to a relatively small community.

In 1970, recognising that Abu Dhabi was embarking on a process of rapid

change and development, Sheikh Zayed established the emirates National

Consultative Council, bringing together the leaders of each of the main tribes

and families which comprised the population. A similar body was created in

1971 for the entire UAE, the Federal National Council, the states parliament.

Both institutions represent the formalisation of the traditional process of

consultation and discussion, and Sheikh Zayed frequently urged their members

to express their views openly, without fear or favour.

At present members of both Councils, as well as lower-level Municipal Councils,

continue to be selected by the rulers, in consultation with leading members of

the community in each emirate. In the future, Sheikh Zayed predicted, however,

a formula for elected representatives would be devised. He noted, though, that,

as in so many other fields, it would be necessary to move ahead with care in order

to ensure that only such institutions as are appropriate for Emirati society are

adopted.

Questioned in 1998 by The New York Times on the topic of the possible

introduction of an elected parliamentary democracy, Sheikh Zayed replied:

Why should we abandon a system that satisfied our people in order to introduce a

system that seems to engender dissent and confrontation? Our system of government

is based upon our religion, and is what our people want. Should they seek alternatives,

we are ready to listen to them. We have always said that our people should voice their

demands openly. We are all in the same boat, and they are both captain and crew.

Our doors here are open for any opinion to be expressed, and this is well known

by all our citizens. It is our deep conviction that God the Creator has created people

free, and has prescribed that each individual must enjoy freedom of choice. No-one

should act as if he owns others. Those in a position of leadership should deal with

their subjects with compassion and understanding, because this is the duty enjoined

upon them by God Almighty, who enjoins us to treat all living creatures with dignity.



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How can there be anything less for man, created as Gods vice-gerent on earth? Our

system of government does not derive its authority from man, but is enshrined in

our religion, and is based on Gods book, the Holy Quran. What need have we of

what others have conjured up? Its teachings are eternal and complete, while the

systems conjured up by man are transitory and incomplete.

Sheikh Zayed imbibed the principles of Islam in his childhood and they remained

the foundation of his beliefs and principles throughout his life. Indeed, the ability

with which he and the people of the UAE were able to absorb and adjust to the

remarkable changes of recent decades can be ascribed largely to the fact that

Islam has provided an immutable and steadfast core of their lives. Today, it

provides the inspiration for the UAE judicial system and its place as the ultimate

source of legislation is enshrined in the countrys Constitution.

Islam, like other divinely-revealed religions, has those among its claimedadherents who purport to interpret its message as justifying harsh dogmas and

intolerance. In Sheikh Zayeds view, however, such an approach was not merely

a perversion of the message but is in direct contradiction of it. Extremism, he

believed, has no place in Islam. In contrast, he stressed that:

Islam is a civilising religion that gives mankind dignity. A Muslim is he who does

not inflict evil upon others. Islam is the religion of tolerance and forgiveness, and

not of war, of dialogue and understanding. It is Islamic social justice which has

asked every Muslim to respect the other. To treat every person, no matter what hiscreed or race, as a special soul is a mark of Islam. It is just that point, embodied in

the humanitarian tenets of Islam, that makes us so proud of it.

Within that context, Sheikh Zayed set his face firmly against those who preach

intolerance and hatred:

In these times, we see around us violent men who claim to talk on behalf of Islam.

Islam is far removed from their talk. If such people really wish for recognition from

Muslims and the world, they should themselves first heed the words of God and His

Prophet. Regrettably, however, these people have nothing whatsoever that connects

them to Islam. They are apostates and criminals. We see them slaughtering children

and the innocent. They kill people, spill their blood and destroy their property, and

then claim to be Muslims.

Muslims stand against any person of Muslim faith who will try to commit any

terror act against a fellow human being, he said in his interview withAl Ahram

in October 2002. A terrorist is an enemy of Islam and of humanity, while the

true Muslim is friendly to all human beings and a brother to other Muslims and

non-Muslims alike. This is because Islam is a religion of mercy and tolerance.

In accordance with that belief, Sheikh Zayed firmly condemned the wave of

terror attacks that have taken place around the world in recent years.



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In September 2001, following the attacks against the United States, he noted in

a message to Heads of Government of the members of the North Atlantic Treaty

Organisation (NATO) as well as to the leaders of Russia and China that:

the UAE clearly and unequivocally condemns the criminal acts that took place last

week in New York and Washington, resulting in the deaths and injuries of

thousands. There should be a direct move and a strong international alliance to

eradicate terrorism, and all those who provide assistance to, or harbour it.

He recognised, however, the necessity not only of eradicating terrorism, but of

tackling its fundamental causes, and, in particular, what he described as the

daily and continuous acts of terrorism being committed by Israeli occupation forces

in the occupied Palestinian territories against the unarmed Palestinian people.

Besides the international campaign against the types of terrorism, there should

be, he said, a strong international alliance that worked, in parallel, to exert real

and sincere efforts to bring about a just and lasting solution to the Middle East

conflict. The Arabs and the Islamic world cannot accept what is happening in the

occupied Palestinian territories the daily killings, deportations and destruction.

All of this is politically and morally unacceptable.

We can work closely together at this critical and dangerous time through which

we are passing, Sheikh Zayed told the foreign leaders in September 2001:

We are confident that we can deal with the situation that we face. But we require,

too, that your Governments should work in a parallel and effective way to ensure a

just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

We request all leaders to work in full frankness on the two tasks in parallel and

at the same time, thus working for the achievement of a just and lasting solution to

the Middle East conflict, based upon the application of international legitimacy and

enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination, to an

end of occupation, and to establish their own independent state on their territory

with Jerusalem as its capital.

There will be no permanent peace, Sheikh Zayed had noted, unless this is

done. For the eradication of one or more individuals will not end the problems

(of terrorism) in a permanent way when hundreds or thousands of others may

step forward to replace them.

In a paper delivered on his behalf to an international conference on terrorism

held in Abu Dhabi in January 2003, he added: We cannot accept any link

between terrorism and a specific religion or race . . . Terrorism is an international

phenomenon that has no religion or race . . . We categorically reject the deliberate

attempts to link terrorism with the right of a people to resist occupation.

Sheikh Zayed was an eager advocate of tolerance, discussion and a better

understanding between those of different faiths, and in particular, has been an



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ardent advocate of dialogue between Muslims and Christians, recognising that

this is essential if mankind is ever to move forward in harmony. His faith was

well summed up by a statement explaining the essential basis of his own beliefs:

My religion is based neither on hope, nor on fear. I worship my God because I

love Him.That faith, with its belief in the brotherhood of man and in the duty incumbent

upon the strong to provide assistance to those less fortunate than themselves,

was fundamental to Sheikh Zayeds vision of how his country and people should

develop. It is, too, a key to the foreign policy of the UAE, which he devised and

guided since the establishment of the state until his death.

The UAE itself has been able to progress only because of the way in which its

component parts have successfully been able to come together in a relationship

of harmony, working together for common goals. That approach has also beenapplied in the sphere of foreign policy. Within the Arabian Gulf region, and in the

broader Arab world, the UAE has sought to enhance cooperation and to resolve

disagreement through a calm pursuit of dialogue and consensus. Thus one of

the central features of the countrys foreign policy has been the development of

closer ties with its neighbours in the Arabian Peninsula. The Arab Gulf Cooperation

Council, (AGCC) grouping the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and

Oman, was founded at a summit conference held in Abu Dhabi in May 1981,

following an initiative by Sheikh Zayed, and has since become, with strong UAE

support, an effective and widely-respected grouping. Intended to facilitate the

development of closer ties between its members and to enable them to work

together to ensure their security, the AGCC has faced three major external

challenges during its short lifetime, first the long and costly conflict in the 1980s

between Iraq and Iran, which itself prompted the Councils formation, followed

by the August 1990 invasion by Iraq of one of its members, Kuwait, and then

by the US-led invasion of Iraq in early 2003. Following the 1990 invasion of

Kuwait, units from the UAE played a significant role in the alliance that liberated

the Gulf state in early 1991. Subsequently, while supporting the international

condemnation of the policies of the Iraqi regime and the sanctions imposed on

Iraq by the United Nations during and after the conflict, the UAE expressed its

serious concern about the impact that the sanctions had upon the countrys

people. And, as the impending invasion of Iraq loomed in late 2002, President

Sheikh Zayed also reaffirmed his belief that War never solves a problem.

Listening to the sense of reason is the right way to resolve differences between

countries . . . This must be based on the principles of justice and the rule of law.

In the run-up to the war, Sheikh Zayed tried hard to persuade Iraqs leadership

to go voluntarily into exile, so as to prevent their country suffering from a third

catastrophic conflict in just over two decades.



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Later, once the war had taken place, he expressed his disappointment:

Our position on rejecting the war was clear and frank, and we had tried with all

our efforts to prevent the war . . . Now, as the catastrophe has taken place, . . . we

will not fall behind in supporting our Iraqi brethren, and assisting them with any

technical expertise they may need . . . and helping them with all that we can afford.

In that process, the UAE has emerged as one of the major international donors

to Iraqs reconstruction programme. It has, at the same time, welcomed the

restoration of sovereignty to Iraq that took place in mid-2004, and has offered

the hand of friendship, and assistance, to the new Iraqi Government.

Another key focus of the UAEs foreign policy in an Arab context has been the

provision of support to the Palestinian people in their efforts to regain their

legitimate rights to self-determination and to the establishment of their own

state. As early as 1968, before the formation of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh

Zayed extended assistance to Palestinian organisations, and continued to do so,

although he always believed that it was for the Palestinians themselves to

determine their own policies. Since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority

in Gaza and on parts of the occupied West Bank, the UAE has provided substantial

help for the building of a national infrastructure and for the refurbishment of

Muslim and Christian sites in the Holy Land. While much of the aid has been

bilateral, the UAE has also taken part in multilateral development programmes

funded by multilateral agencies and groupings and has long been a majorcontributor to the United Nations Relief Works Agency, UNRWA. With the outbreak

of the second PalestinianIntifada (Uprising) in September 2000, the UAE, acting

on the instructions of Sheikh Zayed, stepped up its assistance to the Palestine

Authority, and has also been a forceful critic not only of the repressive policies

of the Israeli Government, but also of the failure of the international community,

in particular the United States, to force the Israelis to desist. In Sheikh Zayeds

view, a solution to the issue could come about only with an end to Israeli

occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, coupled with an implementationof the relevant international resolutions, of the agreed road-map to peace and of

the agreements signed by both sides, so that a Palestinian state can be established

in the West Bank and Gaza.

Substantial amounts of aid have also been given to a number of other

countries in the Arab world. In Lebanon, for example, and on Sheikh Zayeds

personal initiative, the UAE has funded a major programme of clearing the

many hundreds of thousands of land mines left behind by the Israelis when

they were forced to withdraw in 2000, so that the Lebanese civilian population

may return to their homes and land. Other countries like Egypt, Syria, Jordan,

Yemen and Morocco have received substantial loans and other aid for their

infrastructural development programmes.



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Sheikh Zayed had a deeply held belief in the cherished objective of greater

political and economic unity within the Arab world. At the same time, however,

he long adopted a realistic approach on the issue, recognising that any unity, to

be effective, must grow slowly, and with the support of the people. Arab unity,

he believed, is not something that can simply be created through decrees ofgovernments that may be simply temporary political phenomena. That approach

has been tried and tested both at the level of the UAE itself, which is the longest-

lived experiment in recent times in Arab unity, and at the level of the Arabian

Gulf Cooperation Council.

On a broader plane, Sheikh Zayed sought consistently to promote greater

understanding and consensus between Arab countries and to reinvigorate the

League of Arab States. Relations between the Arab leaders, he believed, should

be based on openness and frankness:

They must make it clear to each other that each one of them needs the other, and

they should understand that only through mutual support can they survive in times

of need. A brother should tell his brother: you support me, and I will support you,

when you are in the right. But not when you are in the wrong. If I am in the right,

you should support and help me, and help to remove the results of any injustice that

has been imposed on me.

Wise and mature leaders, he felt, should listen to sound advice, and should

take the necessary action to correct their mistakes. As for those leaders who areunwise or immature, they can be brought to the right path through advice from

their sincere friends.

Within that context, Sheikh Zayed consistently argued throughout the 1990s for

the holding of an Arab summit conference, at which the leaders could honestly

and frankly address the disputes between them. Only thus, he believed, could the

Arab world as a whole move forward to tackle the challenges that face it, both

internally and on the broader international plane:

I believe that an all-inclusive Arab summit must be held, but before attending it, theArabs must open their hearts to each other and be frank with each other about the

rifts between them and their wounds. They should then come to the summit, to

make the necessary corrections to their policies, to address the issues, to heal their

wounds and to affirm that the destiny of the Arabs is one, both for the weak and

the strong. At the same time, they should not concede their rights, or ask for what

is not rightfully theirs.

Welcoming the holding of the first of the annual summits, in Jordan in March

2001, Sheikh Zayed noted that:

The spirit of understanding and brotherhood which has prevailed during [the] sessions

and discussions has brought me great satisfaction. [The] serious deliberations on



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the key issues . . . have proved that sincere intentions and frankness are the way

for us to achieve success . . . Dialogue is essential between brothers, and we are

happy because the Arabs recognise the correct path to follow towards reconciliation

and solidarity, and to surmount the negative elements and mistakes of the past, in

order to move away from divisions and rifts.That positive beginning in 2001, however, came to naught in late 2002 and early

2003, as the majority of the leaders of the Arab world failed, in Sheikh Zayeds

view, to address themselves sufficiently to the looming crisis in Iraq that preceded

the 2003 invasion, and then to the threats to stability throughout the region that

subsequently emerged, not only in Iraq.

The UAE President acknowledged readily that unanimity among the Arab

leaders, although desirable, cannot always be achieved. He was, therefore, the

only leader openly to advocate a revision of the Charter of the League of ArabStates to permit decisions to be taken on the basis of the will of the majority. Such

has been the experience of the society from which he came, and such has been

one of the foundations of the success of the federal experiment in the United Arab

Emirates. It was time, he believed, for a similar approach to be adopted within the

broader Arab world. That did not mean in his view, however, that essential rights

and principles should be set aside. These included, of course, the principle of the

inviolability of the integrity of Arab territories. This principle has been a matter of

major concern to the United Arab Emirates since its formation, because of the

Iranian occupation in 1971 of the UAE islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser

Tunb. President Sheikh Zayed and other senior UAE government officials made

repeated calls for the occupation to be brought to an end peacefully, either

through direct negotiations, or by referral to the International Court of Justice

or to international arbitration.

Sheikh Zayed believed:

Our relations with Iran are based on the best interests of the people of the two

countries . . . Apart from the issue of the occupied islands, our relations have not

been subjected to any kind of difficulties, and it is against this background that we

have repeatedly urged Iran to join us in finding a peaceful solution to this problem

through mediation and understanding.

Here, as on other foreign policy issues, Sheikh Zayed consistently adopted a firm

but calmly worded approach, eschewing rhetoric that could make the search for

a solution to problems more difficult.

In the 1990s, the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia were the cause of

considerable concern to the UAE President. The time had come, he recognised,

for the UAE itself to play a more pro-active role in international peacekeeping

operations. The UAE Armed Forces had already begun to establish a record in

such peacekeeping activities, first as part of the joint Arab Deterrent Force that



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sought for a few years to bring to an end the civil strife in Lebanon, and then

through participation in UNISOM TWO, the United Nations peacekeeping and

reconstruction force in Somalia.

In early 1999, Sheikh Zayed was among the first world leaders to express

support for the decision by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to launchits aerial campaign to force Serbia to halt its genocidal activities against the

people of Kosovo. Recognising that there would be a need for an international

peacekeeping force once the NATO campaign ended, Sheikh Zayed ordered that

the UAE Armed Forces should be a part of any such force operating under the

aegis of the United Nations. From late 1999 to 2001, the UAE contingent serving

with the UNs KFOR force was the largest from any of the non-NATO states, and

the only one from an Arab or Muslim country.

While ensuring that the UAE should increasingly come to shoulder such

international responsibilities, however, Sheikh Zayed also made it clear that the

UAEs role is one that is focused on relief and rehabilitation.

In the Balkans, and Iraq and Afghanistan and in other countries, the policy

adopted by the United Arab Emirates clearly reflects the desire of Sheikh Zayed

to utilise the good fortune of his country to provide assistance to those less

fortunate. Through bodies like the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation

and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, established by Sheikh Zayed before the

foundation of the UAE, as well as through institutions like the Red Crescent Society,

the country now plays a major role in the provision of relief and developmentassistance worldwide.

The UAE itself has been able to progress only because of the way in which its

component parts have successfully been able to come together in a relationship

of harmony, working together for common goals.

Within the Arabian Gulf region, and in the broader Arab world, the UAE has

sought to enhance cooperation and to resolve disagreement through a calm pursuit

of dialogue and consensus. However, the pursuit of agreement and consensus

did not, in Sheikh Zayeds view, justify the setting aside of essential rights andprinciples. These include not only support for the basic fundamentals of human

and civil rights but also the principle of the inviolability of the territorial integrity

of states, whether Arab or others.

Pursuit of these rights and principles has characterised the foreign policy of

the state, bringing Sheikh Zayeds own philosophy and humanitarianism to bear

far from the boundaries of the state itself. In essence, the philosophy of Sheikh

Zayed, derived from his deeply held Muslim faith, was that it is the duty of man

to seek to improve the lot of his fellow man.

His record in over half a century of government, from local to international

level, is an indication of the dedication and seriousness with which he sought

to carry out that belief.



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a special tribute sheikh zayed

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